All I can say is, “It’s hot outside!” The mercury is rising and icy, strawberry granita is light and cold; just what I need to cool off on these hot summer days.

Earlier this month, I made a sparkling raspberry lemonade pressé with fresh lemons and raspberries. It was the perfect summer drink, and I loved that because it was homemade, I could sweeten it with stevia and choose organic berries, free of chemicals and pesticides. As the days grow more humid here, my kids have been eating more ice cream. The pressé gave me the idea to make a healthy frozen dessert for them instead with fresh berries! I decided on a strawberry granita, a dessert originally from Sicily, similar to snow cones and Italian ice. My version is made with organic strawberries and stevia for a refreshingly fun dessert without a drop of sugar….

It’s time to up my kale game. Today I’m lightly sautéing my fresh-picked kale in butter, oil and garlic. Then comes a splash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of crunchy bacon. This is now John’s favorite kale recipe. No wonder — I’ve topped it with crispy bacon!…

Today, I am revisiting one of my favorite recipes: eggplant rollatini. This time I’ve updated it with a special twist, stuffing these delicious bundles of eggplant with mozzarella cheese and and a meaty bolognese sauce.

I have found that the more research I do on celiac disease and healthy living, the more I keep revising my recipes in an effort to use the healthiest ingredients and cooking methods. After more than ten years of following a gluten free lifestyle, my family is also trying to avoid sugar, most grains, eat organic whenever we can, enjoy green drinks, and eliminate processed food. We have improved our diet, and we’re feeling terrific. In order to update my eggplant rollatini recipe to fit our current diet, I decided to leave out the breadcrumbs and broil the eggplant instead of frying. Once rolled up with the mozzarella and meat sauce, the result was absolutely perfect….

French fries and healthy in the same sentence? I know what you’re thinking: french fries aren’t usually thought of as part of a healthy diet. And that’s why I’m so excited about this recipe. My kids love french fries (honestly, don’t we all!), and by using avocado oil, I don’t have to worry about them snacking on an unhealthy treat. It’s just a fun and tasty way to serve potatoes!

We generally don’t eat fries as often as the kids would like to. When eating out in restaurants, the fries are usually cooked in a shared frier or sometimes coated in a batter. Definitely not gluten free. And, of course, restaurant fries are deep fried in a huge vat of oil. Not so good for your health. So yesterday I decided to surprise my kids with fries as a side at dinner. This way I could choose the healthiest ingredients….

Here at the homestead, turkey tenderloin is one of our favorite dinners. We usually have it at least once every two to three weeks. It’s not terribly expensive, the meat is always tender and juicy, it goes a long way, and everyone enjoys it (that means that there are usually no leftovers). But as so often happens here, our gang eventually gets bored with the same old recipe. So I decided to surprise them with a new turkey dish: Turkey Tenderloin stuffed with Russian Red Kale and Goat Cheese….

My oldest son was visiting this past weekend and some time around 5:00, he asked, “Mom, just curious, whatare we having for dinner?“

“Some kind of chicken,” I replied as I wasn’t sure yet what I was going to make.

“Chicken again? The problem with chicken is it tastes like…everything!” He was making a joke referring to one of his favorite Matrix movies. If you aren’t familiar with the scene, you can click here to watch it: Tasty Wheat Tastes Like Tuna or Chicken.

I decided it would be fun to surprise my family with a completely new chicken recipe. …

Hoooray! Summer is here. Yes, I know it’s not June 21. Yes, I know the Memorial Day holiday doesn’t officially signal the start of summer. Yes, I know it was 52˚ yesterday here in New York. But over the last two weeks we have been harvesting our organically homegrown vegetables. That’s how I know summer is here….

“If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong. The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is best. I have known some great walkers and had particular accounts of many more; and I never knew or heard of one who was not healthy and long lived.”

Thomas Jefferson (August 27th, 1786)

Jefferson was a strong advocate of exercise. He recommended at least two hours a day. A central part of his exercise routine was walking. He loved to walk. And his walking was no leisurely stroll. At 46 years old he was walking at a rate of a little over 4 miles and hour. That’s not too shabby.

I also love to walk. I have been doing it consistently for about 8 years. These are 10 reasons why it’s so healthy and why I enjoy it so much.

It’s Easy To Do

For me walking is relatively easy. I have the required equipment and the necessary experience to do it. There is no need for me to join a gym or look for a partner (even though I have one) or trainer to do it. All I have to do is open the door, get outside, and get started. Now I didn’t say it was easy to walk far or fast. But it is easy to get started. I started out with a stroll around the block and built up to a 2-mile brisk walk almost everyday. Barring a debilitating injury or some kind of sickness everyone can walk.

Walking Is Heart Healthy

Medical researchers have known for a long while of the positive effects of walking on the heart and circulatory system. A public review on walking from Harvard Medical School cited a University College London study of about 460,000 participants, which found that,

“…Walking reduced the risk of cardiovascular events (angina, heart attack, heart failure, coronary artery bypass surgery, angioplasty, and stroke) by 31%. These benefits were equally robust in men and women. Protection was evident even at distances of just 5½ miles per week and at a pace as casual as about 2 miles per hour. The people who walked longer distances, walked at a faster pace, or both, enjoyed the greatest protection.”

Welcome to our gluten free kitchen!

Hello! We are Barbara and Nicole, a mother-daughter team whipping up quick and tasty gluten free creations in our kitchen.
We are glad that you stopped by. Finding out that you need to follow a gluten free diet can seem overwhelming, but take heart! You can still enjoy delicious meals. Read More Here.